Think About It - Arrive Alive

We're on an awful
pace for 150 pedestrian deaths in 2015 after three people were killed while
walking in the first week of this year. Oahu saw 25 pedestrian deaths in 2014,
19 deaths in 2013, and 16 deaths in 2012. That's a bad chart heading in the
wrong direction. Accidents happen for any number of reasons- inattentiveness of
the walker, cluelessness of the driver, sun glare, rain issues, speeding, cell
phone anxiety, driving on manual pilot since the driver is so used to the area,
ignorance of the area, etc., etc.

Some simple rules
might help here. When coming to intersections, slow down- easy, but not often
witnessed. When walking, wait a
bit extra before crossing a street, and never dart out in unmarked areas,
especially at dusk or dawn. If you walk at night, wear a light top to provide
better visibility for drivers. Don't assume you have the right of way as a
walker- you may be right, but if you don't look carefully or you meet a
careless driver, you may end up dead right.

Congested areas
abound, especially in the Kalihi, downtown, Makiki, Nuuanu corridors, so take
extra care when driving or walking in these car and pedestrian-heavy zones. As
of January 6, three pedestrians had been killed on Oahu streets in 2015. At
that pace, we could see 150 people killed while walking this year. Astounding,
though that pace surely can't continue- can it? Slow down, look up, and left
and right; they're called accidents for a reason. And we can all help prevent
them. Think about it…